Ashley Withholding Transfer Money In January Is At His Financial Peril

Written by Dr. Ed Harrison

4:31pm Saturday, October 13th, 2018

Commented 91 times

In the Q&A yesterday with the Chronicle one of the reporters (Chris Waugh) suggested that he didn’t think Mike Ashley would give Rafa Benitez any money in the January transfer window unless we were really struggling and relegation was (again) a possibility.

That’s how Ashley seems to have freed up money in the past.

As one example when we were struggling with relegation in January 2013, Ashley got involved, and we brought in five French players – four of them in one week after we were beaten at home 2-1 by Reading for the first time ever in our history.

We just survived relegation that season after we had finished 5th the season before.

The problem was created in the first place by Mike Ashley himself by refusing to strengthen the side in quality and quantity when we qualified in 5th place for the Europa League.

Why did we need to buy new players after we had our best league position since 2004?

Mike Ashley – he must support Rafa Benitez in January

So it was Ashley (what again?) who caused the problem he had to solve six months later.

That’s what Mike Ashley does – he dishes out the money and seems concerned when relegation threatens.

So the Chronicle’s Chris Waugh could well be right that Rafa Benitez will only get money if we are really struggling against relegation.

But that’s exactly what Rafa doesn’t want to happen.

It will prove to Rafa – if he doesn’t already know – that Ashley has no ambitions to have Newcastle become a top team.

He’s simply not willing to spend the club’s money to achieve that.

Rather, he’s happy enough to keep Newcastle in the Premier League and spend as little money as possible.

If that scenario does happen – that Rafa gets little or no money to spend in January because we are fairly safe in the League – it will cause Rafa to leave the club when his contract runs out in June.

We wouldn’t blame Rafa in the least if he left in those circumstances and, the problem is again caused by Mike Ashley.

Rafa has struggled in trying to build a top team over the last two and a half years and he hasn’t been given the necessary funds to do that.

Managers of much smaller clubs and with much less history than Newcastle have spent some big money – clubs like Bournemouth, Fulham, Brighton, Burnley, Watford, Southampton, Crystal Palace, and others.

If Ashley again withholds money – for whatever reason – Newcastle may save money in the short-term.

But the price Ashley can get for Newcastle in a sale will then plummet and we’ll have trouble hiring another manager when Rafa leaves.

So long-term Newcastle will lose a lot of money becasue of a probable third relegation next season.

And Mike Ashley is supposed to be a good businessman?

If that happens and Rafa leaves the club, Mike Ashley will have made his biggest ever mistake at Newcastle – and that’s saying something.

Common now lads why would Ashley spend money in January when he is bringing everyone away on a free holiday if we stay up at the end of the season? that’s his justification for not spending money. That man is crackers, im afraid the writing is on the wall for nufc this season id take relegation today if it meant he sold up.

Having Rafa at the helm doesnt even gaurentee avoiding relegation. He needs backing, NUFC needs backing, ashley is the only man who can do that unless he sells and leaves it to someone that will. You fat greedy lieing so and so get out of our club.

Won the play off final with Swansea City Should have won the league with Liverpool (closer than Benitez ever winning the league in the premiership), plays attractive football and doesn’t piss about with substitutions.

Having said all that Rodgers is exactly the sort of snivelling yes man that Ashley used to love employing – so it is fervently to be hoped that the stuff that has gone down in the last month (attending games and connecting with the club again) is genuine and marks a sea change.

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health update

My latest bone scans and CAT scans were completed on Wednesday of this week and yesterday I met with my oncologist Dr. Dhruva to look over the results.

The stage four cancer remains stabilized and has not spread any further over the last six months.

I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in early 2017 after being in remission for six years.

The cancer metastasized through the bones to different parts of the body and the treatment I am undergoing is hormone treatment.

There is no cure for stage 4 cancer but there are treatments (like Hormone treatment) that attempt to prolong life.

I am upbeat with the results and remain in awe of the doctors and nurses at the Rex Cancer Center here in Raleigh.

It's truly humbling to see how inspiring they are with their patients.

Ed Harrison

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